Pamela James
Assistant Professor
Chicago Campus
pjames@nl.edu
EDUCATION
- Doctor of Philosophy
- University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
- Curriculum & Instruction/Educational Leadership
PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT
My philosophy of education is grounded in an experiential approach/pedagogy. I believe that today’s students must be offered opportunities to apply and practice learning in their everyday environment. School leaders must be equipped to lead, motivate and guide schools and communities to promote these kinds of educational experiences. I also believe that strong parent-school partnerships must be developed and nurtured in order to fully impact student learning.
CURRENT COURSES
- EDL 510: Leadership and Organizational Development of Schools
- EDL 512: Communication & Technological Skills for School Leaders
- EDL 620: Educational Leadership: Policy and Politics
PUBLICATIONS (Recent)
“A Solution-Focused Strategy for Educational Reform”, Michigan Community College Journal, Research and Practice. Spring 2001 – Volume 7, Number 1.
WORK IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY
Recently led a school-community collaborative to implement improvement strategies and change efforts in 42 public schools in the City of Detroit. Formally known as the Detroit Annenberg Challenge, the initiative invested $60 million in the professional development of school personnel, community members and parents to build and sustain school-parent-community partnerships. The primary goals included: promoting educational excellence for all students; increasing student learning/achievement; and building civic capacity to sustain improvement and transfer knowledge.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Research interests include parent development to support student learning, traditional vs. nontraditional school leaders, and community collaboration.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
I undertook an independent, six-week immersion experience to study language and culture in Puebla, Mexico, focusing on the culture and values of the Mexican family.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
The Mexican culture, interior design and writing.
